DOMAINE DU RANCH NAMASPAMOOS' principal activity is the breeding and the sale of the horses among rarest and more attaching that it is: the North American (Bashkir) Curly Horses and Ponies!

We also offer a service of agent which makes it possible to extend the range of Curlies accessible to our customers. About twenty Curlies, the majority resulting from our breeding, are now in Europe, mainly in France, Germany, Belgium and England as well as spread all over Quebec.

We offer also several related activities and Domaine du Ranch Namaspamoos is recognized for its education center, as well for the horses as for the human ones, where the emphasis is put on the ethologic methods (methods known as “horsemanship”);

Domaine du Ranch Namaspamoos is place for discovering and training horses. We believe that horses did not decide by themselves to share our lives, we - as humans - brought them, so it is our duty to adapt to them and to make the right effort to understand them and to find the best way to communicate. Even if horses are amazing animals being able to adapt themselves to a lot of situation... Their patience and dedications are models for us, and you should see them with our visitors, especially kids or people with disabilities; they are truly amazing and it is not rare to witness some tears of happiness... You have to witness it to understand how big is their intelligence and compassion.

.You can read some vibrant testimonies on the TESTIMONIES' PAGE. Some are in French and others in English, we did not have the time - yet - to traduce everything.

During this visit, you will meet all our horses and we will explain the dynamic of the herd, we will share our observations and tell stories...

We will explain how we work, what the horses teach us and some of the horsemanship basis. We welcome all questions as we thought the only stupid questions are the one not asked :o)

It is with great pleasure that we will share our passion and our stories !

Some Safety Tips:

To visit horses, you will need good and comfy shoes (no sandals and visible toes!)

If you want to bring treats (apples or carrots only), we will teach you how to give them to the horses, accordingly to our safety rules and good horses manners rules. NO TREATS ALLOWED IN THE PASTURES, even in your pockets! You will discover soon enough that our horses love humans for what they are and not for their treats! They are already very friendly (very very very friendly) and no candy is needed to get their attention!

Remember : Our horses live outside, so you need to wear cloths accordingly to the weather. Our place is often windy and if we got rain, it can be muddy...

We welcome trainees from different countries, from May 1st to October 31st, every year.

What is it? It is an internship/on-the-job training placement as part of a study program in their home country. Usually, Equine related studies requiere a professional training period in «real life» place. We welcome students for a minimum of 6 weeks period, on a Training Period signed Agreement (provided by their school).

Trainees live with us and share our life. They have their own room in our house. They are teached and they share all our occupations with the horses.

We share our knowledge, both in breeding and the natural triming and education of horses. We practice natural horsemanship and fun, the important thing is to have horses in top form, comfortable in their hooves and in their heads, delighted to share their lives with humans.

According to the seasons and years, tasks vary. Our students participate in all activities of farming in care for horses, work horses and education (especially younger ones) which means eventually the rise, maintenance of pastures, fences, haying... In short, the daily life of a farm ...

Transportation from the airport to Domaine du Ranch Namaspamoos is included (about an hour drive each way).

The stays last from 6 weeks to 6 months. We always encourage students who wish to stay longer than 6 weeks, which can successfully integrate our operations. You must be major and to let us know what level of experience of horses you are having and what are your expectations. It also requires you to be in good physical condition and that you are covered by international health insurance, because medical costs can quickly become prohibitive for foreigners.

Note that the minimum time for obtaining a visa "course of study" is 8 weeks.

We facilitate the obtaining of visas for vocational trainees by providing a letter confirming the internship with us. Contact us early (in November at the latest), because the fill up quickly and it will take time to complete the formalities.

Because our farm is located practically on the border with the U.S., it is common for our students wish to have a jump. A digital passport is required and must sometimes pay for a visa to enter the USA (under U.S. $ 10).

PLEASE NOTE !

Most people who are allergic to horses can tolerate Curlies with little or no allergic reaction - a dream come true for many!

Hypo- means, by definition, below normal. We claim that Curly Horses are Hypoallergenic. We do not, and can not, claim that Curly Horses are Non allergenic. In this case, the horse is less likely to cause a person who is allergic to horses to have an allergic response. That does not mean that the person will not have an allergy "attack", but that often the symptoms are less severe if they are present at all. We do not know exactly why this is so, and studies are on going. We think it may be because the Curly Horse's hair is different than a regular horse, and Dr Gus Coltrane's recent researches from University of Kentucky prove that the seborrhea proteins in the Curly horse skin are different.

If you are an allergy sufferer, what this means is that you should use every means to test the horse you may be considering purchasing by either an in-person visit, or at least, by asking for some of the hair to be sent to you. And do make sure that you keep your allergy medicine close at hand because sometimes there is a response due to having multiple allergies.

For people who are allergic to horses, they also do have to determine that it is only the horses themselves that they are allergic to, and not hay, straw, pollen, dust, manure, etc.- in these latter cases, the breed of horse wouldn't matter

To this day, we have, at Domaine du Ranch Namaspamoos, a successful rate of 97% even with people who suffers from severe horse allergies. People who did react had a reaction to the saliva of the horse, which is easy to avoid the contact.

Our Curly horses are making a t.v. show... but they did not understood that they do not neet to be in the camera to go on t.v. !

Domaine du Ranch Namaspamoos is a member of the following respected organizations: International Curly Horse Organization (ICHO), Curly Sporthorse International (CSI), Cheval Québec.
You will find more info about these on the links page.